Stage-footlighting.



C. M. TAYLOR.

STAGE .F0O'ILIGHTING.

, AYPLIUATION FILED AUG. 1, 1913. 1,07%,1 95. APatented Nov. 18, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

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WITNESS if Si@ ee .iiliiplllenlLlnn llleil. ilniigg'nzsi l, will. Serin!No. 78245223.

ffii all wimm- Jil muy nome/"n ile. 1L known, lli-nl .l1 Lhuieicen'nchihi.' l Loin eilinen ol' iln "lnileil bellini, :und n,

oily nnniniind in the slineitni'e e.

n ond menne lin' ndinni'inpj lhe lmnp .:ei willi. er,

ei'enee lo ihn lione olA the l e aill n; l lio nl '2li Y iiinn om ll ine eon--l'i'inlion nini minihinniion i immo lo lie mon lfnily den(il'ied li-oifeinniles-:nid :Fully nel loi'lii in ine. minnen if-i lo in?hnd lo ille nirseoniginnjpihn views nml in,

ire non "omni imi; Willi lln. lump eni- 'ailing he lelniln nl une; theinnm enijiiw;

bn iin'ililiifliliz ioni ihn position in l, und nino showy) in drilled,lino when eoiofileiely iriiseil oni ol lhe pila in'ovided -in 'lle fingefloor; liigg. il in n linrmvex'sn lll nerfllii'igf ihn lump ein-rief* loiihe lione l5 n pnilionol" n long" nin :i s :loiije provided willi nmndilied n embodiment of my invention;

'imag n. i il., in Eilin eonniy nlf Uhn-lidi Filion of Lullen# llfiient.

.llPi'ilw-yiilzeill Novi. Tiel, i913.

eeelly j 'i'nni the singe, of which Fig'. 8 `illus-- lI-nlen the light;in inn[nenlive position :ind Vlg, il in ,)llnl'nlii'e nosiliion. i

inleiding; lo llw` ihnwinggsi/ Al() i'epi'esenln ilw llonipropel' ol n:5l.1'e, which is enm'ied nn liennm ll. 'lhe llnin' lll is lnovidedwilli :i pi li?, where ille loolllights-nro geneizilly gaonilioned. Thewidth ol the pilJ 12 is niillieien; lo ndniiiV :i lmnp-irnri'ier 'lil7which nndeinlnod llinl the hiniii-eniiiei' [il extends the eniiife widlhol lhe Hinge, ne; is lll@ onse in nifilinnixy loolligg-lilzing. lhepilil! formed in ihn fiom: is provirlecl nl, ils upper end nfljnnenlllie floor' proper with nn nnlni'gement lli, .feo thnlv (he will@ ol?Ihe pil: l'ol'in n suiv poi'l kn' n Covell5 when the luni'reni'riei''lil in in inopei'nlive position, ns Shown in lligf;A l. iihen theenvol* 15 is; in posiilion ini'lienleil .in 'lliggz l, lille .enano isIinsh Willi lin" ilona: propel" 'l0 mi l.l'lieiel y' permits illenliliznlinn ol' the spnee genenlllyr occupied inf he lfool'ligln'n. Theenver- 15 Cnn he mndo in seelionn ilw denii'ed.

l`l|e lumi :zn'iiei i3 i5: provided willi n rei7. Alloi'nned luy side:ind end Inen'ilwi` Iv :ind il) respeeliwlu secured lo the under inlneeol the member euri-ying' the lmnp sli'neiznrn :and :nl infrnnl: "Lilie,end :ind sides 'lhe llooi ol lille pil lil7 dii'eelly undellhe ineens:i7 li'ie. l) `|novided will) hlnehs Sill wonend i' idly lo the llooi`inf :my #nimble inennfi. l ivolnlly inonnled nl; one end lo eneh nl limhloel; nre links Q1, llie opposite endg nl' which nre pivol'nllyseenrefl in llie Aiden 8 nl' [he lnn'ip-eni'iiei lil in; menno oli nhoh, E22. The exterior widlh ol: ihn linli @l is nnllnnlinlly eqnnl inthe width heliveen the side members 18; while lhe inneiI width of theSinne sul)u lQlnnlinlly eqnnl in [lie widih of the block 2O Secured. tolho floot* of the pi. The ceninl link i?!A (see Figs. l to 4l inclusive)iS provided with nn :mn l'l rigidi rxem'ed lo the linkr :md rweehnnggingl'lir; block 20 on which ille centi-nl link 9,1 mounted nt `he nidowhere the `link` iii iiivoled to lille liloel; 'Thisi oveifhnnging endof 'the arm il 1S provided with un eye pulce 24 directed lo nlongitmlinnl openingr provided in line liolltom of the pil. Conneeled tothe om 'nieen is n llmhle niemhev .26 Minded the electric switchboard.The drum 28 is mounted in a bracket 30 secured to the place 29, and isprovided with a ratchet Wheel 31 rigidly secured to the drum and adaptedto engage a pawl 32 integral with the lever 33 jivotally mounted to thebracket 30.I The rum 28 is provided With a crank 34 by means of whichthe same is operated, and whereby the .lamp-carrier 13 can be adjustedin the pit as follows: to place the lamps into operative position, thecover 15 is removed and the crank 34 is turned in the directionindicated by the arroa7 in Fig. 1. This will cause `the Winding of theflexible member 26 on the drum and, consequently, a pull will be exertedon the arm 23 causing the link 21 connected thereto to rotate about itspivotal -mountin in the block 20, thereby bodily moving t e lampcarrier, as shown in Fig. 3.

'It is understood that other links 21 can be provided with similar arms23 and actuated by the same flexible member as the eentral linkillustrated in the drawing. The downwardmotion of the lamp-carrier, dueto gravity, is prevented by the pawl 32 engaging the ratchet wheel 31.When the lamp-carrier is in the desired position, the electricsvvitchcan be turned on. It is easily seen that the adjustment can be made whencurrent is flowing through the lamps without any interferencewhatsoever.

When the lamp carrier is to be placed in inoperative position, the lever33 is raised, thereby the pawl 32 is disengaged from the ratchet 31 andthe force of gravity causes the lamp carrier to descend into the pit,into position as shown in Fig. 1. The length or' the pit 12 is such thatwhen the lamp carrier is at its maximum height the link 21 is slightlyinclined towardl the block 20, so that When the lever 33 is disengagedfrom the ratchet the force of gravity will cause the llamp carrier todescend from t-he position shown in Fig. G to the position shown inFig. 1. i

In the modified form shown in Figs. 6 and 7 the length of the pit 12 issubstantially equal to the length ofthe lamp carrier 13', in view of thefact that-the motion imparted to the lamp-carrier in the pit issubstantially vertical, and not horizontal and vertical combined. Thisis obtained by providing on the under surface ot' the member carryingthe lamps rollers 35 engaging cams 36 rigidly secured to a shaft 37engaging the end portions of thc pit 12. The end portions 19 of the lampcarrier are provided With a slot 38 engaged by the shaft 37 and wherebythe lamp carrier is partly guided when the same is adjusted by the cams.One end of the shaft 37 projects imanes through the end portion of thepit 12 and is provided With a beveled gear 39 rigidly secured theretoand meshing with another beveled gear 40 secured to a shaft 41 leadingto a place behind the curtains and above the floor. The shaft 41 isprovided with a wheel 42 whereby the shaft is operated, causing portionsof the beveled gears 40 and 39, shaft 37 and cams 36 to opera-te, whichcauses the vertical movement of the lampcarrier 13. y

As above stated, the Width of the lamp carrier slightly exceeds thewidth of the lamp structure 14, and is about six inches wide; and thepit has substantially the same Width. This structure, in comparison withthe old structure of footlights,.which is positioned in a depression inthe floor of about two to three feet wide, gives a gain in ioor spacewhen the lights are in use; and, furthermore, as described, permits theutilization of the entire iioor When thelights are not in use, that is,in inoperative position, masked in the pit.

It is understood that the lam carrier can be made arc shape, if desirewhere the front of the stage is of such construction; and any kind oflight can be used in con neetion with my lamp carrier. f

In the modied form shown in Figs. 8 and 9, alamp carrier 13 is hinged inthe pit and provided with latchets.43 at its upper surface near the endopposite the one which is hinged, and by means of these latchets thelamp carrier is supportedin operative position, as shown in Fig. 9. Thelamp carrier 13 can be made in one piece having the-length of the lampit orean be cut in as many sections as esired. The form shown in Figs.8 and 9 is designed for operation of the foot light directly from thestage by simply operating the latchets 43 and letting the lamp carrier13 drop to the position shown in Fig. 8.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Fatent is:

1. The combination of a stage floor with a footlight carrier associatedtherewith and provided with lamps; means for normally masking the saidcarrier and lamps; and means for adjusting said carrier with referenceto the stage.

2. 'lhe combination of a stage floor having a pit with afootlightcomprising a lampcarrier in said pit; means for 'adjusting thecarrier in the pit; and means vfor 'closing the pit when the footlightsare in inoperative posit-ion. f

3. The combination of a stage iioor having a pit with footlightscomprising a lamp carrier in said pit; means associated with saidcarrier and said pit and means leading to a point above said floor andwhereby the first mentioned meansl are operated and said lamp carriermay be adjusted in any desired osition in said pit: and means forutilizm the ace normally occupied by the footu lig ts w en the sume isin inoperative po i sition. `f 4;. The combination of a stage floorhaving a pit with footlights, comprising u lampl carrier in said pit;means connecting sald lamp carrier to the pit; flexible means associated "with said oonnectin means; and means for operating said exiblemeans,i whereby said lamp-carrier is adjusted within seid pit; and meansfor masking the footlights when the sume are in operative positon. i 5.The combination of a stage Hoor having i a pit with 'footlightscomprising lumpl, ari-ier in said pit; operative means lcated i in apredetermined position above said floor;

and means connecting said lamp carrier with seid operative Ineens andwhereby by the manipulation of said operative means said hun carrier canbe maintained in any desire( position in said pit, f

6. The cunibinaton of a stage floor with a Afootli ht carrier associatedtherewith und ioi'ied with lumps; independent means or normally maskingthe said carrier and lamps; and means for adjusting .Suid carriervertically.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses,

, CLARENCE MILTON TAYLOR. lli'itneg/Qs:

En FULwiLnn, C xnnm Jesus.

